There are many known casino games using cards or other set of indicia to determine the outcome of the game. For example, many casino games of chance utilize reels displaying a fixed set of award symbols. These reel games are commonly referred to as reel slot machines or slot machines.
Slot machines can contain any number of reels, although most slot machines contain three, four, or five reels, and any number of pay lines, although most slot machines include one, three, five, eight, or nine pay lines. For example, in some slot machine games, each reel on a slot machine may index at a plurality of positions or stops, each of which contains a symbol or a blank. The number and location of index positions can vary depending upon the model type of each game but, in all instances, are fixed. These model types are determined by a variety of award tables and corresponding combinations of reel symbols. As noted above, the combination of symbols displayed when the reels index determines whether the player has won or lost. There are also video slot machines where a controlling processor simulates the action of a stepper game.
The player places a wager to initiate play of a slot machine. The player can place multiple wagers to, as described previously, increase the payout amounts, increase the number of active pay lines, or both. Often, the specific wagering structure dictates the allocation of multiple coin wagers. The reels are randomized, i.e. mechanically or electronically “spun,” and the combinations of reel symbols index across the pay line or pay lines are examined for winning combinations. Winning combinations are rewarded according to a pay table which may take into account the size of the wager. The paytable is a schedule of all possible winning outcomes and the award for obtaining each.
Video draw poker is well known. In the conventional game of video draw poker known in the art, a gaming device is provided wherein the player makes a wager and the device's processor selects from a data structure containing data representing cards in a deck of playing cards, five cards to be displayed face up to represent an initial hand. The player selects which, if any, of the five cards of the initial hand to hold and prompts the processor to discard the remaining cards. The discarded cards are replaced with replacements selected from the data structure to produce a final hand outcome of a five card poker hand. The video draw poker device compares the final outcome to the pre-determined winning combinations also stored in a data structure defining the pay table, these combinations frequently representing ranked poker hands. If the player's final outcome matches a winning combination, the player is rewarded. Otherwise, the final outcome is deemed to be a loss and the player's wager is retained.
In a variation of video draw poker, multiple hands may be provided. As with conventional video draw poker, the device's processor randomly deals five cards to a player for an initial hand. The player selects which, if any, of the five cards of the initial hand to hold. Prior to drawing replacement cards for the initial hand, the held cards are copied into the other hands. The player prompts the processor to discard the remaining cards and additional cards are drawn to replace the discarded cards. The processor then repeats the draw step for the additional hands. Thus, a player receives multiple opportunities to draw to the same held cards.
Blackjack is a well known card game played in casinos. The object of the game is to have a final hand total closer to twenty-one than the dealer's hand without exceeding twenty-one. For purposes of calculating the final hand total, each card has a value equal to its face value except face cards, which have a value of ten, and aces, which may have a value of eleven or one as the player selects or as required to prevent the player from exceeding twenty-one. In conventional Blackjack, the suit of the cards is not relevant to the outcome of the game.
The form of Blackjack played in casinos is played between a dealer, representing the house, and at least one player. In a typical Blackjack game, each player makes a wager in a wagering area on a playing surface. The dealer deals two cards to each player and two cards, one card face up and the other face down, to himself or herself. Any player receiving a natural twenty-one or Blackjack, i.e. a total of twenty-one in the initial dealt hand, is immediately rewarded, typically at a rate of 2:1, 3:2, or 6:5, and play is terminated as to that player. Each remaining player examines his or her hand and decides whether to hit, i.e. receive another card, or stand, i.e. receive no further cards and finish play with the player's current hand. A player may hit as many times as the player wishes as long as the player does not bust, i.e. have a cumulative total greater than twenty-one. When a player busts, that player's wager is immediately collected and play is terminated as to that player.
A player may also have additional options available depending on the initial hand dealt and the house rules. For example, a player may have the option of “doubling down.” Although the availability of the double down option varies depending on each casino's house rules, the option allows a player to double the player's wager in exchange for a single additional card. Some house rules permit doubling down on initial hand totals of ten or eleven only, other house rules permit doubling down on any initial hand total.
Another option available to a player is the option of “splitting.” If a player receives a pair, i.e. two cards having the same face value, in his initial hand, most house rules permit the player to split the pair and use each card as a basis for a separate hand. For example, if a player is dealt a pair of eights, the player may choose to split the pair and continue play with two hands each having an eight and an additional dealt card as an initial hand. Each of those individual hands is then played independently by hitting, standing, or, under some house rules, doubling down or further splitting.
After all the players have played their hands, the dealer reveals the face-down card in the dealer's hand and completes the dealer's hand according to established house rules. That is, the casino uses established rules to eliminate the dealer's discretion. The dealer hits or stands as the house rules dictate, and resolves the wagers. In resolving the wagers, players with a final hand total closer to twenty-one than the dealer's final hand total are rewarded at even money. Conversely, wagers are collected from players with a final hand total further from twenty-one than the dealer's final hand total. If the dealer busts, all players who did not bust or receive a Blackjack are rewarded at even money. If the player and dealer push, i.e. have the same final hand total, the player's wager is returned.
Ban-Nag, also known as Chinese Blackjack is another card game played in casinos. The object of the game is to have a final hand total closer to twenty-one than the dealer's hand without exceeding twenty-one. For purposes of calculating the final hand total, each card has a value equal to its face value except face cards, which have a value of ten, and aces, which may have a value of one, ten, or eleven as determined primarily by the number of cards in the hand, and secondarily by the other cards in the hand. In Ban-Nag, the suit of the cards is not relevant to the outcome of the game. The value of the ace is typically determined as follows, with the value selected so as to obtain the highest hand total without exceeding twenty-one:
Number of cardsin the handValue of an Ace210 or 113 1 or 1041
The form of Ban-Nag played in casinos is played between a dealer, representing the house, and at least one player, and uses a deck comprised of between one and eight standard decks of cards. In a typical Ban-Nag game, each player makes a wager in a wagering area on a playing surface. The dealer deals an initial player hand of two cards to each player and an initial dealer hand of two cards face down to himself or herself. Any player receiving a Blackjack, consisting of either two aces, or an ace and a ten-value card is immediately rewarded, typically according to the following pay table, unless the dealer has an equal or higher ranking Blackjack hand, and play is terminated as to that player.
Player HandDealer HandResultTwo Aces (Ban-Ban)Two Aces (Ban-Ban)PushTotal of FifteenOptional EscapeAll OthersPlayer Paid 3:1Ace/Ten-Value (Ban-Nag)Two Aces (Ban-Ban)Player Loses 3:1Ace/Ten-Value (Ban-Nag)PushTotal of FifteenOptional EscapeAll OthersPlayer Paid 2:1
If the player has a hand totaling less than twenty-one, the player completes the final player hand as follows, continuing until the player elects to stand:
Player hand totalPlayer options15 or less on four cards or lessHit16 to 20 on four cards or lessHit or standMore than 21Bust, player loses21 on 3 or four cardsStand, Player wins 2:121 on five cardsStand, Player wins 3:16 to 20 on five cardsStand, Player wins 2:1
At any point in the play of a hand, if a player achieves a hand totaling fifteen, the player has the option to escape, and push his wager, regardless of the dealer hand. Alternatively, the player has the option to continue play, foregoing the escape option.
Once the player has completed the final player hand, or busted, the dealer examines the initial dealer hand. If the dealer receives a Blackjack, consisting of either two aces, or an ace and a ten-value card, the dealer is rewarded according to the following paytable, and the hand is terminated for all players.
Dealer HandPlayer HandResultTwo Aces (Ban-Ban)Two Aces (Ban-Ban)PushTotal of FifteenEscapeAll OthersPlayers Lose 3:1Ace/Ten-Value (Ban-Nag)Two Aces (Ban-Ban)Player paid 3:1Ace/Ten-Value (Ban-Nag)PushTotal of FifteenEscapeAll OthersPlayers Pay 2:1
If the dealer receives a hand totaling fifteen, the dealer has the option to escape, declaring a non-hand, pushing all wagers. Alternatively, the dealer has the option to continue playing the hand, foregoing the escape option. Typically, the dealer escape election is determined by deck factors and the number of player Blackjacks and busts. If the dealer has a hand totaling less than twenty-one, the dealer completes the final dealer hand according to the rules used in completing the final player hand. Optionally, house ways rules may be defined to remove the dealer options on hands totaling between 16 and 20.
If the dealer busts, all remaining final player hands are paid at 1:1. If the dealer stands, the remaining final player hands are compared to the final dealer hand. If the total of the dealer final hand is higher than that of a player final hand, the player loses their wager. If the total of a player final hand is higher than that of the dealer final hand, the player wins and is paid at 1:1. If the total of a player final hand equals that of the dealer final hand, that player pushes, i.e. neither wins nor loses. Optionally, as the potential for a player losing more than their wager exists (where the dealer has a Ban-Ban, a Ban-Nag, or a hand of 5 cards), the player may be required to maintain an escrow of up to two times their wager.